Advocates for the homeless say residents of west suburban Naperville have nothing to fear from their new neighbors.
Public Action to Deliver Shelter, or PADS, is turning eleven Naperville apartments into permanent homes for people recovering from mental illness and substance abuse.
Beth Epstein of PADS says the new residents will have criminal background checks and regular supervision.
“Anybody who first moves in will be seen minimally once a week. Most likely, if they are having a problem transitioning to our program, we will see them on a daily basis,” says Epstein.
In addition, Epstein says PADS has twenty-one other permanent apartments and there have been no police complaints against any of those people.
Still, some Naperville residents have voiced concerns about the PADS facility to city leaders.
But they are not planning any action to stop the housing program.